(OPINION) Polls show that a majority of Americans are very worried about the state of U.S. democracy. As a scholar who researches democratic virtues, Christopher Beem has spent time with the work of Thomas Aquinas, a 13th century Dominican monk whose words are relevant to current times and show what it means to hope.
Americans United for Separation of Church and State has filed a lawsuit against the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services on behalf of a Jewish couple who claim that a state-funded adoption agency refused to provide them with child placement services because they are not Christian.
Read More(REVIEW) Justice John Marshall Harlan was the sole defender of civil rights in a series of 1883 Supreme Court cases. In a new book, Peter Canellos argues that Harlan’s distinctive moral values came from his deeply held religious faith, commitment to the founding ideals and personal experience, including inspiration from his biracial brother.
Read MoreThis week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights the top storylines that have emerged after last weekend’s hostage standoff at a Texas synagogue. Plus, catch up, as always, on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
Read MoreWith 12 campuses across the California county, Orange County Rescue Mission plays a vital role in combating the homeless crisis. The Village of Hope — set apart from other emergency housing facilities by its commitment to aesthetic design — houses up to 270 men, women and children as part of its residential, back-to-work recovery program.
Read MoreA Chicago circuit court has dismissed an appeal from a former pastor in an Evangelical Covenant-connected church who said he lost his position after the ECC took too long to investigate a sexual abuse claim against him that was eventually dismissed.
Read MoreOf the 7.6 billion people on Earth, 2.4 billion identify as Christian, 1.9 billion as Muslim, 1.2 billion as Hindu and more than 500 million as Buddhist. Those are just the four largest religions. In other words, 310 million in the U.S. do not necessarily constitute the epicenter for all religion in the world. If anything, religion in America is a unique outlier.
Read MoreRabbi Charlie, as friends and congregants call him — one of the four recently held at gunpoint for nearly 11 hours at the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue —teaches with emotion when he tells students in Mark Baur’s Worldviews course at Fort Worth Christian School each spring that antisemitism has destroyed generations.
Read MoreSince “11J,” the name given to the July 11, 2021, widespread protests in Cuba, state persecution of Protestant pastors spiked. Today, an increasing number of religious leaders and churches are questioning police repression or speaking out against the Cuban government.
Read More(OPINION) Discussions about women in the Mormon Church often revolve around whether they will ever be ordained. They may serve as leaders of women’s or children’s organizations, but power in the church remains firmly in the hands of men — though women’s status and leadership have noticeably increased within the family since the 1980s.
Read More(REVIEW) “Don’t Look Up” is a new Netflix movie that has generated some controversy for its straightforward message encouraging the world to care about climate change. While mostly ineffective, it raises questions about God’s involvement in the end of the world.
Read More(OPINION) So it seems to me that the Great Resignation is great for a few, mainly tech workers. It’s not so great for others. Most are stuck in an iron cage of capitalism rewarding efficiency and economic prosperity but less so those vocations tilted toward social well-being — like health care workers, teachers, and pastors.
Read More(OPINION) The conflict in Ethiopia continues to take new victims. Shortly after it began in November 2020, evidence of mass killings of several hundred people in the western Tigray town of Mai Kadra, started to emerge. In 2021, the U.N. raised its concerns regarding the emerging humanitarian crisis and the risk of famine.
Read MoreAs a Kentucky town recovers from a devastating storm, the owner of a bookkeeping business next to a low-income neighborhood runs a disaster relief center out of her parking lot, offering hot meals, temporary housing and prayer to suffering neighbors.
Read MoreChristian, Jewish, Muslim, atheist and other community members gathered Monday night in the sanctuary of White’s Chapel United Methodist Church in Southlake, Texas, and applauded Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker — just two days after the rabbi and three others were held hostage in Congregation Beth Israel in neighboring Colleyville.
Read MorePastor Jeremy Foster’s resignation from Hope City Church in Houston, Texas, due to an adulterous affair is the latest in a series of scandals linked to the Association of Related Churches, one of the largest church planting organizations in North America.
Read MoreIn advance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, this week’s Weekend Plug-in looks at a fascinating piece on the last full year of the Baptist pastor’s life. Plus, catch up, as always, on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
Read MoreThe 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago has ruled in favor of a Roman Catholic church that was sued by a former employee fired for his same-sex marriage, saying churches and religious groups have the right to hire and supervise staff according to their beliefs — without government intrusion.
Read More(OPINION) Interviews are forever the linchpin of all original reporting. The key to getting a good interview: preparation. You've probably heard the preacher's rule of one hour of work in the study per one minute in the pulpit. The reporter’s rule is more modest: at least 10 minutes of research per one minute of interviewing.
Read MoreAs health care professionals assess the lessons of the COVID-19 global pandemic, one unexpected message may be the importance of including spirituality in overall patient care. A pioneer in that movement is Dr. Christina Puchalski, founder and executive director of George Washington University’s Institute for Spirituality and Health.
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